Toy ladder-truck.



PATENTED FEB. 19. 1907.

H. T. KINGSBURY.

TOY LADDER TRUCK.

APPLICATION PILEDJUNE 9. 1900.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

H. T. KINGSBUR Y.

TOY LADDER TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9.1908.

lntg g wuewboz 97 W7 QWW m i r HARRY T; KINGSBURY, OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

TOY LADDER-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed Julie 9,1906. Serial No. 320,967.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY T. KINesBUnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keene, in the county of Cheshire, State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Ladder- Trucks, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and -figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention'relates to wheeled toys, and has for its principal object to provide a motor-propelled toy carrying a movable object such as a ladder, which is moved or raised by the motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a motor-propelled truck having a ladder hinged thereto, and means for connecting the motor to the ladder, so that it may be elevated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an inertia-wheel-propelled truck, in which the motor ceases to propel the truck when the-ladder engages an obstacle and is automatically connected to the ladder and elevates the same.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a wheeled toy constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the ladder down. Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion of the same, with the ladder raised. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the motor mechanism. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, showing the motor connected to the axle and acting to propel the toy. Fig. 5 is a similar View showing the motor connected to the winding-drum. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the friction device for holding the ladder-sections from sliding until both sections are moved to the vertical position, and Fig. 7 is a detail view of a modified form of clutch.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the specification and claims.

The. device is constructed principally or wholly of metal and includes a body formed of a pair of connected sills 10, carrying at the front end a seat 1 1 for the driver or chauffeur.

The body is supported by a pair of runningwheels 15 at the front and a second pair of wheels 16 at the rear.

Between the sills is arranged a U-shaped 'frame 18, the vertical arms of which are provided with openings for the reception of a pin 19, the ends of the pin being preferably upset in order to hold it in place. On this pin is pivoted the lower ladder 20, which may e formed of any suitable material. The upper ladder-section 21 is slidably mounted on the lower section by means of pairs of clips 22, each clip being secured to one laddersection and slidably embracing a portion of the other section. When lowered, the upper section of the ladder rests on a suitable sup port which in this instance is in the form of an inverted-'U-shaped frame 23, riveted to the sills 10 and having its side arms downwardly extended and provided with openings for the passage of-the rear driving-axle 24 of the truck.

The ladder is elevated through suitable mechanism, the power being transmitted in the present instance by means of a cord or chain 25, which first passes through an eye 26, formed at the apex of an approximately V-shaped spring 27, the two arms of which have eyes for the passage of the pin 19 and at their extreme ends are connected to one of the rungs 28 of the lowerladder-section. The cord thence passes around a guiding-sheave 30 on pin 19, thence over the top rung of the lower ladder-section, andis connected at the end to the lower rung 32 of the upper laddersection.

When the cord 25 is pulled rearward, it acts first on the spring 27, pulling the latter downward and rearward and moving both ladder-sections to approximately vertical position. During this movement the upper section of the ladder is held from sliding by a small friction-spring 35, which is carried by the lower section and engages under one of the slidable slips 32, carried by the upper section, the frictional resistance of the spring being sufficient to prevent sliding movement until both sections are in the erect position. The sprin 27 further serves to form a yieldable stop by engaging a loop 37, carried by the sills, and prevents the ladder being thrown too far forward.

Pivotally mounted on the axle 24 are the rear ends of the arms of a U-shaped frame 40,

I ion 47.

the front end of which is supported by the sills 10, preferably by a cross-bar 41, secured to the frame and resting on the lower flanges of said sills. The two arms of the frame 40 are provided with edge flanges 42 for the greater portion of their lengths, and these flanged arms form guides and supports for a slidablymounted U-shaped frame 44, which has bearing-openings for a shaft 45, on which is secured a heavy inertia-wheel 46 and a pin- The frame 44 also carries a stud 48, on which is mounted a gear-wheel 49, intermeshing with the pinion 45. The stud also supports a sprocket-wheel 50, which is secured to or formed integral with the gear' wheel.

Mounted on and rigidly secured to the axle 24 is a sprocket wheel 52, which is connected to the sprocket-wheel 50 by means of a link belt 53. As there is some tendency to sla'ckening of the belt through wear and stretching, the frame 44 is provided with a threaded opening for the reception of a screw 55, which passes through an unthreaded opening in the frame 40, so that the frame 44 may be adjusted and the belt kept as taut as desired.

Mounted loosely on the axle 24 is a winding spool or drum 57, having end flanges 58 and 59, the flange 58 being slightly recessed to form a friction-disk for engagement with a mating friction-clutch member 60, formed'on one side of the sprocket-wheel 52. The outer face of the other flange 59 has a rounded cam-shaped hub 61, which may be engaged by a spring-arm 62, which is secured to' one arm of a vertically-movable clutch-operating frame 63 and is provided with a vertically elongated opening for the passage of the axle 24.

The frame 63 is in the form of an inverted U, and its arms are provided with verticallyelongated openings for the passage of the axle 24 and also for the passage of a rigid bar 65, that extends between the two $1113 10. Extending vertically between the bar 65 and the horizontal bar of the ladder-rest 23 is a bar' 66, around which is arranged a helical compression-spring 67, that tends to move the clutch-operating frame 63 downward to operative position, and when moved down to its fullest extent the lower ends of the frame will strike against the floor or other supporting-surface and raise the rear wheels clear of the floor.

The vertical arms of the frame 63 are provided with shoulders 7 O, which may be engaged by the inbent ends of the arms of a U- shaped bumper 71, the cross-bar of which pro ects in front of the truck in position to engage a wall, an article of furniture, or other obstacle, or which may be operated by hand, and when pushed back the frame 63 is released and is immediately pushed down by the spring 67. v Y

The rear end of the cord 25 passes over to run over the floor until the bumper strikes an obstacle, the inertia-wheel serving as the propelling means. During this movement the spring 62 is free from the winding-drum, and the latter will not be rotated. As soon, however, as the frame 63 is released and is moved down by spring 67 the arm 62 acts on the cam-like hub 61 of the winding-drum, and the latter is forced against the frictionclutch member 60, so that the drum will be rotated and in rotating will wind up the cord or chain 25 and raise the ladder. During the ladder-raising operation the inertia-wheel will not be retarded by the rear wheels remaining in contact with the floor, inasmuch as the arms of frame 63 pass below the wheels and elevate the rear end of the entire device, the wheels spinning around loosely, so that their tires will not be injured, and there will be no unnecessary strain or wear onthe'motor or damage to articles of furniture with which the toy may come into contact. The partsmay be restored to initial position by raising the frame 63 to allow the ends of the bumper to again lock it, after which the ladder may be pushed down to the lowered posltion.

In some cases the connecting-cord may be replaced by other forms of transmission de then the sleeve 31 will be shifted to release.

the shaft and engage the winding-drum, so that the runningwheels will not continue to turn after the toy stops.

While I have herein shown and described a ladder as carried on the truck and adapted to be elevated, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to such, as a watertower or any other movable object may be substituted for the ladder.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters' Patent, is

1. A wheeled frame, a movable object car ried thereby, a motor for operating both the frame and said movable. object, and automatic means controlling the connection between the motor and said movable object.

2. A wheeled frame, a ladder pivoted thereto, a single motor for actuating both the frame and the ladder, and an obstacle-actuated means for controlling the connection between the motor and ladder.

3. A motor-driven truck, a ladder carried thereby, and automatic means operable on stoppage of the truck for connecting the motor to the ladder to effect the raising of the latter.

4. A wheeled frame, a movable ladder carried thereby, and a motor arranged to suecessively propel the frame and elevate the ladder.

5. A wheeled frame, a ladder pivoted thereto, a motor, and an obstacle-controlled means for connecting the motor to the ladder.

6. A motor-driven wheeled toy, a movable object thereon, and-means for automatically connecting the motor to said object when movement of the toy is arrested.

7. A wheeled truck, a movable object carried thereby, a motor element for actuating said movable object, and normally disconnected therefrom, and means for automatic ally connecting the motor to said movable object when movement of the truck is arrested.

8. A wheeled frame, a ladder pivoted thereto, a motor for propelling the frame, and means for automatically connecting the motor to the ladder on the stoppage of the movement of the frame.

9. A wheeled frame, a movable member carried thereby, a motor for propelling said frame, and means operable by engagement of the frame with an obstacle for connecting the motor to said movable member.

10. A motor-propelled toy truck, a ladder carried thereby, and an obstacle-operated means for connecting the ladder to the motor which propels the truck.

11. A motor-propelled wheeled truck, a ladder carried thereby, and automatic means for connecting the motor to the ladder when winding-drum and the ladder, and an obstacle-actuated means for operatively connecting the motor to the winding-drum.

16. A wheeled ladder-truck having a driving-axlc, an inertia-wheel motor connected to the axle, a winding drum normally loose on the axle, a flexible connection between the winding-drum and the ladder, and an obstacle-actuated clutch for connecting the winding-drum to the axle.

17. A ladder-truck having a driving-axle, a sprocket-wheel thereon, an inertia-wheel motor includin a sprocket-wheel, a link belt connecting the two sprocket-wheels, a windng-drum loose on the shaft and having at one end a clutch-face for engaging against the axle-carried sprocket-wheel, and a spring; actuated obstacle-controlled means for engaging the winding-drum with the sprocketwhecl.

18. In combination, a wheeled laddertruck having a driving-axle, a sprocket-wheel thereon, an inertia-wheel motor including a sprocket-wheel, a link belt connecting said sprocket-wheels, a winding-drum loose on the axle and havin a clutch-face arranged to engage against the axle-carried sprocketwheel, a flexible connectionb etween the Winding-drum and the ladder, a spring-depressed frame carried by the truck, an arm on said frame and arranged to force the drum into engagement with the sprocket-wheel, and a bumper normally holding said frame in elevated position.

19. In combination a wheeled frame including a driving-axle, a pivoted ladder carried by the frame, a sprocket-wheel on the axle, an inertia-wheel motor including a sprocket-wheel, a link belt connecting the sprocketwheels, a winding-drum arranged to clutch against the axle-carried sprocketwheel, a flexible connection between the drum and the ladder, an inverted-U-shaped frame, a drum-actuated arm carried thereby, a spring tending to depress the frame, and a bumper having inturned end portions engaging and holding the frame in elevated position.

20. In combination, a wheeled frame including a driving-axle, of a motor operatively connected to the axle, a winding-drum loose on the axle, a ladder pivoted to the frame, a flexible connection between the ladder and the drum, a spring-depressed frame arran ed to move against the supporting-surface and elevate the wheels of the driving-axle from the surface, and to clutch the winding-drum to the axle, and a bumper normally holding said frame in elevated position.

21. A frame including a pair of spaced sills, a ladder pivoted to the frame, a crossbar serving as a connection between the rear portions of the sills, wheeled axles supporting the frame, a motor operatively connected to one ofisaid exles F-en invetted u shaped frame having vertic-ellygflongated openings for thepessag e of theklriving alxle end the :crossbar, Le "'vertie ally-disposed spring-carried b er extending through an opening in said U- shaped :freme, la *rs'eeond .e'rioss-ber: forming e stop i'for' thelupper 'end of the spring, .seid frame'bei-ngmrovided with s'houlde'rs on its opposite zer ms, a "U #sheped bumper having inturned ends engagingwith the shoulders,

and holding the heme in elevated position,

ewiIIding4drum mo'unt'ed loosely on the node, a flexible eonneeti'on between the Windingdi nm and -the ladder, and a, drum-actuating arm *oerried 'by ithe frame and arranged to eff'eet -the 1o'cking of the drum to theeXle, the fra me serving When depressed to=e1evete the driving-Wheels above the supportingsutfe'ee.

22. In combination, a Wheeled freme'ineluding a. driving-axlwa U -s'heped frame pivoted thereto en'dhaving its arm's fienged' to form channel-b ers, an inertia wheel c errying frem'eislidebly 'mounted'within such channelbars, "an inertia-Wheel "motor, meens for connecting the 'motor to the driving-axle, and an adjusting deviee' oonneoting the two frames.

23. A Wheeled ladder-truck, including a pivot'elly monnted ladder formed of sli'dablyeonn'eetedseetions, olipssecurectto eeoh section and embreeing'a'portion of'the opposite section, and e friction-spring carried by one of the sections and extending under a clip of the other section.

In testimony whereof I efiix mysi'g'neture in presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY T. KINGSBURY.

Witnesses:

F. S. RoDENBUsH, L. G. LITCHFIELD. 

